When it comes to spending public money, Texans want transparency and accountability. One way to deliver on these demands is through the third-party efficiency audit concept, which is a tool to “assess how well [government] agencies work to keep costs down while providing their services, and if those services are aligned with the purpose of...
As the public’s once-high view of college education burns down before our eyes, the universities’ favorite water-carrier, the Chronicle of Higher Education (CHE), continues to fiddle. CHE’s recent article on Texas Tech University (TTU) rebottles an old whine, warning that Texas’ 2025 law, Senate Bill 37, has brought a wave of faculty self-censorship, administrative pressure,...
Despite persistent affordability concerns, the Kendall County Commissioners’ Court is once again flirting with the idea of creating a controversial new tax to benefit select businesses at the expense of virtually everyone else. The tax in question is the hotel occupancy tax (HOT) and, if ultimately approved, officials would place another financial strain on any person who pays for a hotel room or other lodging, including inns, motels, and short-term rentals. The cost could be significant too. According to one recent report presented to the Court (see pgs. 133...
Across the state, a collection of terror networks and their Islamist partners are using US politicians, institutions and nonprofit infrastructure to advance violent, radical ambitions. In 2022, Yasin Malik, the leader of a Kashmiri group declared by a US federal appeals court as a terrorist organisation involved in killings, bombings and kidnappings, was sentenced by an Indian...
Ken Burns became famous for his magisterial PBS film series, “The Civil War.” My family loved this series, which featured, naturally enough, Lincoln’s arguments and tactics during the war. But Burns’s latest pronouncement makes one wonder whether he really learned anything about Lincoln at all. In a recent podcast discussing the impending closure of his...
As we observe the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the question has been raised whether our experiment in self-government still merits our celebration—or our condemnation. I find myself having to republish a rebuttal to this claim every July 4, because every July 4 brings a new call to no longer celebrate the Fourth....
If you’re tired of watching your property tax bill (or your rent!) climb every year, then you’re not alone. A new poll of registered voters in Texas shows that everyday Texans are fed up with runaway local government spending, debt, and taxes—and they want real tools to fight back. To the problem, Texans overwhelmingly say...
I recently had to explain Apple Pay to my parents. They love it now, but getting there required patience, repetition and a fair amount of starting over. We ended the way those sessions usually end, with them saying: “That’s so easy, I had no idea it was so simple.” The thing is, it was not...
When George Wythe died in 1806, he left his small library of books to his dear friend and former pupil Thomas Jefferson. It was, he wrote in his will, “the most valuable to him of anything which I have power to bestow.” Yet Wythe’s greatest gift to Jefferson—and to the new United States of America—had...
A federal judge has curtailed the efforts of the Department of Housing and Urban Development to end the disastrous policy of Housing First. With this new development Texas is on its own to compel cities to make changes to homeless spending. This article from Austin Reform shines light on the City of Austin underscoring that...
I was a pretty smart kid. Why can’t I figure this social media thing out? It’s 11:45 pm and I’ve been scrolling on my phone for hours. This is not an experience that is unique, and I imagine many of you have the same experience. Despite feeling tired, my mind is racing, stimulated by the...
Even though I’ve taken off from my Winners & Losers newsletter this summer, I still join the Cardle & Woolley Show on Talk 1370 Radio in Austin Friday mornings at 8:30 a.m. to announce the week’s list. You can listen live here every week or download the broadcast anytime by clicking here. This week I...